The medium-term impacts of in utero exposure to heat stress: An analysis of infant mortality from Mali

Jasmin Abdel Ghany, University of Oxford
Liliana Andriano , University of Southampton

Previous studies have highlighted the severe consequences of prenatal exposure to extreme weather events on infant health and mortality. However, evidence about the impact of in utero heat exposure on infant mortality remains inconclusive. One reason for this is that exposure to extreme heat, malaria, and malnutrition overlap in the samples under study. We address this issue by focusing on Mali, a country where the hot dry season and wet lean season usually do not coincide, making it easier to distinguish the effects of heat exposure from disease and malnutrition. We merge data from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey with fine-grained hourly temperature data to examine the effect of prenatal heat exposure on infant mortality. We also investigate vulnerabilities across different sociodemographic groups and examine whether the relationship is mediated by preterm birth or low birthweight. We find that heat exposure in the second and third gestational trimester decreases infant mortality, presumably through increased in utero mortality. These findings have broader implications for policymakers in addressing climate change's adverse health effects and protecting pregnant women.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session P50. Environment and Sustainabilty